We kept the vac, and got a stretchy hose--6 feet or so, and it
stretches to 20 ft. The vac, itself, the hose and one floor tool are
all that are left. We now have 3 shelves with cans and the bottom part
of the tool storage area holds the hose and floor tool. The
vacuum mechanism doesn't take up all that much space in the cabinet
under the fridge.

Bag Info:
Royal Dirt Devil Type "U" Part # 4460
This bag is about 3" too long, but can be folded at the bottom of the
bag so that it fits in the container. Cinnabar sells a
cloth bag for the vacuum that is washable.
Also, it has been reported that a Hoover J bag , and a Eureka style C
work. Ron & Linda Clark

Fresh water leak
caused by city water connection

A fresh water leak that got the hall floor wet and drained the
fresh water tank down to 1/2 over night.

I found a company on line in Orange County, Ca called Trim-LOK-Inc.I had to buy a
minimum 250" roll at $125.00 plus shipping
(can't remember the shipping cost). The part number of the stuff I got
is 100B3X1/4-GRGB. It comes in black but if one wants to get a custom
color you can, if you order 5000 feet.
I think it took about 75 feet to do all the windows in my coach, not
counting any of the windows in the cock pit. Sobrieto

Randy--I recall someone else having that complaint. They popped off the
plastic cover at the fulcrum of the armrest and shimmed or put
something around the "dowel" that limits the downward trave
Bob de Kruyff

Follow up on "downward angled" armrests.

This is what I did and it works great. I pulled the arm
and found no adjustment options. I took the arm
and one of the pins to the hardware store and started pawing around for
different diameter sleeves to slide over the 5/16" pins. I took
several different "sleeves" back to the coach.

The one that seems to work best is a piece of 5/16 ID rubber gas line
with an OD of just over 1/2", cut to 1/2" long. I cut a set of sleeves
for each arm and put them on this morning..
They work great!
As Arch says "I love it when a plan comes together"
Randy

I use both front seats ( on the mezzanine) for my desk and seating , so
I swivel them all the time. gene

Chris
Choffat

Folks, I came upon a person in the area with a stash of Honda Odyssey
Middle Row seats. I bought this set for $100 from one seller, and
another person here has a garage full of them. They take them out when
they do wheelchair access conversions. They sell for $150 a pair and
$150 for the middle thing which is also a center console. They have
beige and grey. These are new and really nice. They are leather and
smell nice too. I am putting them in my coach and possibly a set or two
in my pickup. All I have to do is remove the latch bases and install
some unistrut cross braces to bolt to the GMC swivel base.

Her name is Danelle
Phone number is 602-993-1523 if busy they are online, leave a message
if you get the answering machine. her cell phone is 602-544-9862, but
there is no voicemail.
email address is sunshinesrme at hotmail dot com.
Be sure to tell her you are in the "GMC Club"
She will give you her address. She is at roughly 35th ave and Cactus.
She is hoping to hear from all of you by the weekend so she can
determine the price. She stated $125 per pair is probably as low as
they will go.
You can use paypal to pay her. She will give you the information.

What I did was carefully pop off the plastic covers, they have little
hidden tabs. then I unbolted the front nut. I also had to pop the heim
joint looking things at the end of the cables that release the seat
from the van floor. Then remove the torx screws that mount the bottom
assy to the metal tabs on the rear of the rail. all that will be left
is the metal tabs at the rear. I scored them with a hacksaw, then bent
them back and forth and snapped them off. conversely, you can drill out
the rivets, which I will probably do so I can bolt the rear unistrut
brace across that. I will probably tap it to a 5-16-18 or a metric
equivalent to the front stud. The cables were then simply tucked
under the seat springs. They are still connected to the release lever
at the top of the seat, so they may come in handy to connect to
something else that I cannot think of as of yet. :?

It has always made me mad when I tried to use the Mezzanine
seating in the GMC, In my coach, I could not reach or push hard
enough on, the seat rotation lever to rotate the driver/passenger
seats. Finally I determined to fix it and this is how I did it.

Painted black and hidden beside the seat it works great !!!! -----
finally

REMOVING THE BATH MODULE

I know a lot more about removing the bath module now. The
side and front panels should be removed before attempting the
fiberglass
portion of the module. This is of course based on the 73, I don't
know if newer years were the same.

On the 73 removing the side and front panels is relatively easy if
you know the tricks and the previous owner has not hidden the screws as
was done in the Yellow Submarine. On each corner of the module
facing the hall are two groves top to bottom that are painted black and
in these groves are screws holding the side panels to the front frame
of
the bath module. These screws hold together an interlocking
joint.
Removing these screws allows the side panels to be separated from the
frame around the front. Once the side panels are removed screws
are exposed that allow removing the front panel.

When all the panels are removed there is only a simple wood frame
thats permanently attached to the shower module.

Of course if you don't know the tricks then things get broken up
pretty good when take apart but every thing becomes obvious.
Don't
ask how Know this.Dan & Carol (4/4/5)

Magic Chef Oven
Propane
Leak

My 78' Royale has the original Magic Chef Oven which has a pilot
lite.
I always turn off the gas at the tank whenever the motor home is
parked...not
being used... for long periods. If I forget about lighting the
pilot
when I turn on the gas, it is not long before you can smell the gas.

There is a pilot off position on the oven knob. You can
leave
it in that position and the pilot will not leak gas.

We have never used the oven portion of the range, and I would like to
just
crimp over the tube for the pilot, and if we need the oven...then lite
it
by hand when needed. It appears to have a sensor going from the
pilot
to the main valve in back of the oven. If this sensor is suppose to
sense
no heat at the pilot....then it is not working....another reason to
crimp
it off. Any suggestions on how I should handle this?? Larry

often the smell comes from a small leak in the shutoff
valves.
Here Is the way to check for and fix the leaks with ball valves.
you
might also want to open the individual burner valves , clean them , and
grease
with silicone grease.

The valves that go to the burners also sometimes leak. I had a
faint
propane smell for a couple of months before finding it came from a
burner
valve. It was so tiny that even the good leak detector fluid
would
not bubble on it. One can take the burner valve apart without
unscrewing
it from the manifold. Just take off the know and then press out
the
pin that holds the shaft and conical valve part in the valve
housing.
Do this carefully as there is also a spring inside the housing.
You
can then clean up the old grease (and polish up small scratches with
some
600 grit or finer wet or dry paper) and then reassemble it using some
silicone
grease (lab stopcock grease works well). This will make the knobs
turn
easier and stop those small leaks.Emery Stora
---------------------

DRAWER SLIDERS

A tip for all with late model drawers with bottom-center slides.I went
to my local Lowes and purchased a couple ofnew slide assemblies. Brand
"KV 1129". Part number 1129P ZC 18. Cost $4.83 each. One screw
out,
replace the lower track and trolley, replace one screw. Drawers work
properly,
wife happy. Such a deal!!!Gary Kosier

INTERIOR
MATERIALS

Here's the Designer's Brain Dump -- some biases,
observations, and
things to bear in mind....

First, our coaches leak, so anything you use on the interior walls
should be able to get wet and dry out without taking on stains. Note
especially that the nice plush, foam-backed knit headliner stuff used
in many cars will turn permanently brown in the first rain. There are
plenty of good options, though. Vinyl's an excellent bet.
We've got a nice one that we got from Jim Bounds, and was not horribly
expensive. It comes in all kinds of textures and colors, and is easy to
work with.

Second, the walls below the beltline (everything below the bottom edge
of the windows down to the floor) and the pedestals under the couch and
dinette all take a lot of abuse. Choose a fabric here that can't get
scuffed, snagged, or stained, because it will look shabby very quickly
(I've seen this happen within *weeks* of a new upholstery job). A lot
of
people run low-pile carpet on these surfaces as one good solution. Even
cheaper: I used a fuzzy nylon headliner material Jim also sells, in a
color
matched to the vinyl. It's lightweight, water won't hurt it, dirt
doesn't
show, it refuses to ding, and it gives the interior a nice acoustic
quality.

Third, I'm a big fan of neutral-colored walls. There are several
reasons for this:

A) Choosing a neutral color will save you a lot of money in the
long run. The walls are far and away the hardest decorative element to
replace. You don't want to do it more than once every decade or two;
and if you choose the right material in the right color, you shouldn't
have to.

I did the Engine in a pale grey-beige-taupe color from ceiling to
floor, including the window valences. My thinking was that in 4-5
years, I'll be able to completely redecorate the coach if I want to
(and after the kids have had their way with it, I'll want to, believe
me), just by
changing out the easier and cheaper stuff -- upholstery, bedding, and
any
worn flooring. The neutral walls will be worked right into the new
decor.

B) The wall color has a huge visual impact on the whole interior.
Picking a wall surface in a light, calming color opens the space up.
Save the strongly-patterned or textured upholstery for the dinette,
couch,
and bed cover. This way, the walls become the backdrop; and the
upholstery does the talking. (Also, good upholstery doesn't come cheap,
so minimizing the amount needed saves $$$ and lets you splurge on
something nicer and more durable.)

On the other hand, putting a louder color or pattern up on the walls
tends to make a small space feel smaller. (My galley suffers from this
effect, but I love my copper walls anyway.)

C) To keep any future update as easy and cheap as possible, I did the
front seats in the same vinyl as the ceiling. Also, because the seats
are the tallest item in the forward cabin, making them blend into the
walls visually opens up the interior.

D) Bear in mind that colors go in and out of style. Bright colors can
be out of favor in 1-2 years (which means finding coordinating
upholstery and other items may get tricky); but neutrals can hang
around in the
market for 8-10 years. This means that when you want to replace
interior
elements in future years, it'll be a lot easier to find things that
match.

E) I'm personally not a fan of bright white. It reflects a lot of road
and sky glare; and it shows every speck of dirt. You will probably be
happier in the long run if you choose something in a beige, grey,
very pale yellow or green, ivory/almond/eggshell, or other softer
neutral tint. It'll stay cleaner, be easier to look at, and give your
interior a lot more warmth and character. Sara

ATWOOD FURNACE UPGRADE
I installed the 22K BTU Atwood this winter. Like you, we
are fair weather campers and never plan to camp in sub freezing
weather. Prior to installing this furnace, we used a 1500 watt
electric heater
which worked marginally OK down to about 40-45 degrees outside (we like
it cool, 65-68 degrees for sleeping), so we were getting about a 15
degree
rise over ambient with the electric heater. 1500 watts is
equivalent
to 5100 BTU/hour, about 1/4 the 22K Atwood output. Armed with
that
information, and believing a low output furnace running most of the
time
is thermally more efficient than a high output furnace running in
spurts,
I chose the 22K Atwood. On a cold day this winter when ambient
was
33 degrees in my garage and in the motorhome, I turned on the furnace
(garage
doors open, no benefit from radiant sun heat, dead calm). In one
hour
it was a toasty warm 70 degrees in the motorhome. I had just put
in
a new ceiling with extra insulation above it, and the ceiling itself is
perforated vinyl with a full 1/4" foam backing. Furthermore,
unless
you put additional outlets in, our ducting system is marginal for even
22K BTU (just my opinion, not based on science!). Most people
will
disagree with this assessment because conventional wisdom says to use
at least a 30K BTU furnace. That's what this forum does best, and
that is we can all share our opinions, right? Having said that, I
suspect
on a windy 30 degree night, it would get pretty chilly in there, but
don't
expect to encounter such conditions the way we camp. Regardless
of
which size you select, I highly recommend the flush mount for
appearance reasons, but it is more of a hassle to install.
Ray, 76 Ganza, Syracuse, IN

COACH WATER HOSE

I ordered my line and fittings direct from Flair-it, out of
Oklahoma. Saved
about half the cost over buying through a local plumbing supply,
hardware or motor home sales. www.flair-it.com
has a catalog and price list. I found that buying a full roll of tubing
was cheaper than buying it by the foot. If you buy Flair-it get the
Flair-it wrench and tube cutter. You will be glad you did. Good luck.
Set aside a full day to replace it all. I haven't been able to find my
ticket but I think the cost was around $150.00 for all the line and
fittings. Charles Wersal

STOVE ELECTRONIC IGNITER
Not since I installed my Howell TBI, have I made a 20 year jump
in technology for my GMC. Now my stove lights like all of
the new ones, just by pushing a button on the front panel of the stove.

I finally found an electronic igniter with 3 outputs that we can use
to automate lighting our stoves. I called Brinkman (800-468-5252)
and ordered a replacement igniter for their 810-2600 BBQ. I
ordered this way because I could not find an after market igniter
that
had 3 outputs. The $7 price is excellent. Someone
might
be able to find a better source for this product.

I mounted the unit in the right hand corner and connected the unit
with Teflon wire to each burner. Now to light a burner, just turn
on the gas and push the button, the unit will spark continuously until
the button is released. I may have to change the electrodes to a
stainless wire, but we will see how it goes.

The igniter I bought was not a kit, it was a replacement part so no
instructions, wires or electrodes came with the unit.

The knob on the front is part of the circuit, and since the front of
the stove is coated with plastic, I ran a wire under the knob, through
the mounting hole, to a screw inside the stove for a ground connection.

The wire I used for electrodes and connection were Teflon so
they could withstand the heat and hold off the high voltage of the
spark. BBQs normally use a stainless electrode with a single wire
from the unit to the electrode. You can see these at a BBQ shop.
gene

12 VOLT REFERS - TWO TYPESI also have the 12v/110 model and have stated before that
it works exceptional. It definitely uses a thermostat. If
set too cold I get frozen beer and that is not a good thing. I
wouldn't know what to do without the 12volt option and can't imagine
living without it. Maybe the three way fridges were dogs when it
comes to the 12volt option?

Michael - you are talking apples and oranges here.
The 12 volt dc /110v ac model that you have is an all electric and it
has a compressor which uses freon just like your house refrigerator
has. These should work the same using either source of power and
yes, they do use a thermostat. The 110 volt ac input is changed
to 28 volts ac by a transformer to run the compressor. The 12
volt
dc is inverted and stepped up to 28 volts ac to run the compressor.

The model that Arch was discussing is an ammonia/water circulating
model that uses heat to vaporize the solution and circulate it through
the tubes and fins. This model doesn't have a compressor with
freon. Since there is no motor, it depends on the vapor
rising due to heat and the liquid being returned to the bottom by
gravity. Thus, it must be
relatively level to operate properly or the gas and liquid will get
trapped
in the coils. The propane flame heats the fluid in it and turns
it to a gas. It also has a 110 volt heating element that puts out
about the same heat as the gas flame (possibly a little less or a
little more depending on the gas orifice and the altitude of
operation.) It
also has a 12 volt heating element that only puts out about 1/2 of the
heat
that the 110 volt element does. This is because if it had the same
wattage
as the 110 volt element it would burn up the wires leading to the
refrigerator
unless they were extremely large gauge. It would also draw down
your battery in a relatively short time. In this type of
refrigerator
the 12 volt operation is meant only to try to hold the temperature of
the
refrigerator. In very hot weather it will fail to do so.
The Norcold instructions specifically say:

"DC Electric operation is less efficient that the AC Electric and
Propane gas. Use DC electric operation only to maintain the
refrigerator temperature while in transit and if the other energy
sources are not available. Do not use DC electric to initially
decrease the temperature of the
refrigerator."

So, when comparing 12 volt operation, it is important to know what
type of refrigerator you have.
Emery Stora

INSULATION
When I did my coach I discovered spaces that had never been
foamed. I wanted to get the best Insulation possible without
making a big mess. I decided to use solid sheet urethane foam
from Home Depot. I used the foam that has aluminum foil laminated
to it. Cutting each piece to size, then using the foam-in-a-can for
adhesive ( it works great) I stuck it into place then foamed the
edges. Viola! Minor trimming and your done. That's what I did.
Hope it can help someone else. Bob Cook
------------
This technique was used by Norman in this great explination and sets of
pictures. Note the cover of the cable ways also. http://www.gmcclassics.com/tech/wheatley/rebuild01.html
and http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=3206

I did have some success with the covering for the cable tray
at the
roof wall seam. In measuring the track width of the aluminum tray
I
found it was exactly 3 inches wide from the top face edge
to the bottom face edge. I then noticed a scrap piece of "Panduit"
wiring tray lying in the junk in my garage. The cover
supplied with this tray has a toothed lip which locks nicely over
the edge of the aluminum rails on the GMC cable tray. It is made from
white PVC (although it comes in other colors or could be painted
or covered with fabric) and the Part No. C3WH6 Panduit Tray Cover is
also
exactly 3 inches wide 8-). It comes in 6 foot lengths, packed 6 to a
box. I hope to get my hands on a carton soon. If you're
interested in the spec's, the web site is:
<http://www.panduit.com/> . Do a parts search on "C3WH6"
and you can see the picture and cut sheets. The rails
measure 18 feet each, so a box of 6 covers should do the job end
to end.

Today I went across town to a local electrical supply house
and bought
36 feet of the stuff. It works! Very nicely I might add. It set
me
back $1.74/foot or $67.82 w/tax. If you only need a piece to
replace
the section over the door, then your cost will be lower accordingly.
When
in place, the cover fits, very tightly and curves slightly
concaved. I had to use a bit of force (small rubber hammer)
to work it over the rail lips, but once in place, it locks. If
you want to finish the cove in some other color or a fabric, I suggest
you do so before final attachment. It can be removed with a large
screwdriver twisting under the wer edge/corner and slowly working
it back over the bottom rail lip, but you may mar your finish if
you are not very careful. It cuts with a carpet knife or box
cutter where needed for wire clearances. It only took me about 15
minutes to install, but you must remember, the inside of my 75 E
II is naked at the moment 8-).

There is room to route at least four 1/2-inch cable bundles without
stressing the cover at all. I removed the original cable ties and
their
attaching screws, so the channel is clean and clear, no snags.
I also used the resulting screw holes to fill the region behind the
chase
with urethane foam to seal the roof seam from the inside and to fill
the void so that water cannot migrate into the chase. A cable
pull
string or fish tape can easily be used after-the-fact to add cables in
the future, although I plan
to load it up while I have things torn down.

For the new 120VAC trunk, I plan to install a single 10-2 feed
down the kitchen side chase and two of them on the dinette side.
One, a direct line to the air conditioner and a second to supply
receptacles which will be located in the floor of the overhead cabinets
and any of
my electronic toys. I plan on having an additional 10-2 trunk
line
for the 12 VDC down each side as well, which will be fed from the
house batteries through a new fuse panel. No more frame grounding
return circuits to foster electrolysis and corrosion, a complete copper
circuit path will exist. There will be plenty of room for CATV
coax,
antenna coax, phone lines, and speaker wires as well. My new
TZEplus
cabinets are on a truck headed south, so I had to nail this one before
they arrived.Norman

REFER CABINET MODIFICATION
I was taken with Jim Wagner's picture of his modification to
the cabinet under the Refer. I have not been able to find this
basket,

So I took another approach. I removed the original cabinet
doors, turned them over so that the finger pulls were on the top.
Put a piano hinge along the bottom and a brace at the top, so that the
doors would tilt out. I used hydraulic door braces to
retract and hold the door open. I have always wanted to hide the
kitchen waste basket, so I put a U shaped piece on the door so that the
basket goes in and out with the doors

Most all modern day
radios are DIN which means it uses a 2x7"
retangular opening for a cage for the radio to slide into.

There is
plenty of
room in the original bezel for a DIN cut out. Actuallt the upper and
lower
opening is exactly the right size, you cut bend back or cut off the 2
side ears
with the hole for the shaft radio off and the DIN cage will fit right
in. No
need for a rear support, the radios have a fraction of the weight the
old ones
had so supporting the back is not needed. I pull off the locking tabes
on the
cage, I would rather a crook take the radio than mangle the dash trying
to
unlock it. As far as mounting goes you may want to also pick up a DIN
trim
plate, depending on how fat the radio trim ring is, you may leave
visible part
of the original radio opening, the trim bezel covers that.

Thats really
all
there is to mounting in a new radio, it's actually pretty easy. Wiring
could be
a little challenging. Early models use a "common ground"
circuit that cannot be used in modern radios without adapters
that degrade the sound a bit. Late models have "descrete" wiring
which means there are 2 wires gong to every speaker. This is what you
need for
all modern radios. You will have to run new wires if you have an early
harness.
Ken, I think your coach is a late model. You should have 8 wires going
to
speakers-- if you do it is descrete. If you have 5 wires, you should
run new
wiring.

There have been soooo many advancements in radio design lately and the
prices as
sooo cheap compared with the past, a nice radio in dash is not an
expensive
deal as it used to. You can get them with inputs to run your TV or I
pod into,
GPS and DVD if you like and again the prices are cheap.

Good luck on whatever you do, if you have any questions. please let me
know, JIM BOUNDS

***********************************

DIN is an acronym for the "Deutsche Institut fur Normung," a German
standards and measurements organization. Basically, DIN indicates that
a device conforms to an accepted standard of dimension or
configuration. A DIN radio/receiver is one that will fit in a dash
opening having a width of 7.2 inches and a height of 2.1 inches.
Normally it is mounted with a rectangular metal bracket (der DIN
sleeve) provided with the receiver.

The DIN sleeve is designed to mount in the radio spot of the auto or
whatever. It features a flange on the front edge to allow the sleeve to
flush-mount in the radio opening. Some DIN sleeves have a top and
bottom so be sure you mount it correctly

Once installed, a series of "V" or "U" notches in the top
and bottom of the sleeve can be bent behind the vehicle's trim panel or
the faceplate of a trim kit. You just use a flat-blade screwdriver to
secure the sleeve in place.

After putting in the sleeve, the receiver slides into the receptacle
where it locks in place. Hence, no mounting to the tuning and power
knobs which no longer exist. (You see, the digital age has changed
things a bit - you're in the 21st century now). By using a combination
of small clips on both the receiver and sleeve it gets locked in making
it harder to steal but more attractive. Of course, whose going to
rubber neck into a GMC? The location of these clips often vary based on
model or manufacturer. Generally, you'll use the DIN sleeve that came
with the radio because the guts may not be based on a standard. Just
the space and the box (sleeve).

Now, when you want to remove the sleeve legally, use the removal tools
to release the receiver from the sleeve. The manufacturer should
provide this. As to plugs, etc. nearly everything is standardized.

And, say thanks to the wife for getting the iPod. It has helped my
Apple stock price to rise way above my original purchase price by a
factor of 10 in about five years (God bless capitalism).Byron Songer
**************************

SPEAKER WIRES
Never say never! No, its not any easy job running wires but there
are very few things worth doing that are easy.Bend straight a coat
hanger (poor mans pull wire),

Run 4 wires behind the driver side panel to its top rear
corner. Pull off the "A" frame rear plastic trim and run all 3
wires up to the overhead cabinet on the driver side. Run one wire
up to the front 3 1/2" speaker in the front cap, run the others to the
inside of the overhead cabinet and along the back wall. Stop one
of the wires @ 1/2 way back in the overhead cabinet (this is a good
place for a 6 1/2" spk. facing down. Run the other 2 wires behind
the closet cabinet back to the rear cabinet on the driver side.
Fish one to the driver rear 4x10" spk location then pull off the rear
headliner trim and route the last wire over to the pass. side 4x10
location.

Snake 2 wires past the glove box and behind the pass. side wall
panel to
its top rear corner. Remove the "A" frame trim and run the wires
up
to the overhead cabinet. Run one wire to the front 3 1/2" spk and
the
other back to the new 6 1/2" spk location

Hey, you're done! Yep, it will eat up a good portion of your
day but it is dooable. Forget the old wiring, run all new spk
wires. I would also run a new power wire up front and connect it
to the living area battery. This way, you will not be using the
chassis battery for music and kill it. The power converter or
generator will keep the living area battery charged while you leave the
chassis battery for your get away.Hope this helps, if you need more
specific info, give me a call,Jim Bounds

MiniVan Console
Here is the console I installed in my 75 PB. The trim is beige which
matches, but it doesn't show on my photos.

This one is from the Astro/Safari van which means it is longer,
which allows
for the map lights to be used at the dinette or davo behind the driver
seats.
It also has a dome light which I wired to the existing switch. Compass
and
temperature work fine. Temp. requires a sender and lead, compass only
needs
12v. Hope you can use these. I can explain how I mounted this if you
think
anyone is interested. I picked the console up on ebay for $50. It is
conversion
van surplus. (they install tvs).Al & Carol

FRESH WATER DRAIN VALVE REPLACEMENT

The OEM Fresh Water Drain Valves on the GMC became very hard to
operate with age, and they were located at the far rear of the
passenger side of the coach, which is now under the bed. There
are two valves, one to drain the tank and the other to drain the other
side of the water pump and the coach. I replaced these two valves
with stainless and brass ball valves, and attached brass rods to the
valves
so they can be operated from the propane cabinet on the outside of the
coach. These pictues show the old valves and a diagram of how the
original plumbing was done. The diagram shows the lower
valve
as a fitting with a valve.

The valve is actually screwed into the fitting . This valve is
removed and replaced with a ball valve. gene

Electric - Toilet Chemical Dispenser
You just do not know how much I hate to pour the chemical into the
toilet for the Black Tank. So when I saw this suggestion,
I jumped at the chance to build one for my GMC. I had just
replaced the Black tank so I was too familiar with the
connections
to the tank. I found my perfect location where the kitchen
sink enters the Black tank. Now I pump the tank with my
Macerator,
and a 4 second push of the dispenser button, and the entire job
is complete and ready to hit the road. No messy bottles to store
in the bathroom and no pouring into the toilet.

Be sure the output from the pump is higher than the top of the
bottle..otherwise it will siphon out all the chemical.

I used a glass Mayo bottle because I did not want a plastic
bottle that might wear through and leak into the coach. I wrapped
it with good old Duck tape so that it would not rattle. A
large peanut butter plastic jar would work just as well and might be
easier to install. You might want to use a windshield washer
bottle as the original article suggested.

I thought since a lot of the GMCs' have this same location that
I do, and I owned the washer pump, I would do it this way.
The sink cleanout is still accessible by removing the bottle. The pump
came from JC Whitney for $9.00 (75RJ3025U). I found the pointer
to the original article on Scott's links page where he pointed to this
really interesting Fulltimer. The actual article came from
someone else who submitted it....... what a tangled way we find
information on the web. http://bart.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/hints.htm

I researched many different brands, sizes
and their output levels, I decided on the Aquah 6L, I got it on Ebay
for $180.http://tinyurl.com/lfjmqw

I
removed the refrigerator, tore all of the dried out paneling off of the
outside wall, reinsulated the outside wall and then pop riveted sheet
metal on it.
On top of the water heater I connected some high
temperature flex silicone coated duct hose approx 3" diameter available
from McMaster Carr, it's good for 550 degrees.....I then wrapped that
with some thin hi temp insulation covered with a high temp tape to hold
it all in place........I ran that up and terminated it right under the
refrig roof vent.

Before I installed it I did a lot of testing
in my basement with the unit hooked up to a propane tank and my cold
water supply. With 40 degree water going in, I could get
140 degrees out with everything running full tilt. Naturally you
can adjust it and control it very nice. The exhaust temperature
right on top of the unit at the stack was 290 degrees, 6" above that it
dropped to 250 and then dropped very fast after that. With
the tubing on, the temp at the end of the tubing near the refer vent is
approx. 180 after you run it for awhile.

You have to remember
that this thing is not ON very much of the time, only when the faucet
is on, people tend to think that they have to have an insulation system
that can handle 40,000 BTU's for 24 straight hours....... Whether
taking a shower and turning the head on and off as you wet and rinse,
or washing your hands or doing dishes, I don't think it stays on for
more than 30 seconds at a crack.

I absolutely love this thing, and I'm not burning a lot of propane to
keep 6 gallons hot all the time.Ray

HOT WATER HEATER TIMER
I got this great idea from a GMC Cascader. He got tired of his
hot water heater coming on when there was no water in the tank and
burning out the element. He replaced the switch with a mechanical
timer that fits in the same location.
I did the same. Now we have an indicator that the heater is on
and a safety drop out that will require the owner to turn on the
heater when the coach is plugged in to the AC.

Lots of heater elements have burned out because of this ( Mine
was), and causes the generator to come up under load (which is
not
good).

How many feet of what sizes of hose do I need to to a complete
>replacement?Larry

50 feet. 51 if you also replace the hose on the pop off valve on
the water heater.Arch

Hose is 5/8 " ID --Emery
Bill Brown - 77 Buckeye Cruiser

Coshocton, Ohio

Just replaced my hoses recently and it all went well and
straightforward. As others have said, cut the hoses, be prepared for
the coolant that will flow, keep and reuse the hangers. I was
able to access the hoses by goingin from the outside through the
removable panel behind the refrigerator.The hoses were down in there
under a large quantity of deteriorated foaminsulation.

The only problem I had was getting the new hoses through the holes
cut intothe floor just behind the door. Mine is a '77 and the
hoses enter the coachat that point. I understand that the earlier
GMC's had the hoses enter fromthe wheel well area. Anyway,
some very helpful GMC'er here suggested thatI cut the old hoses off
under the rocker area and drop a length of heavystring through the old
hose and out the bottom. Then cut V shaped notchesinto either
side of the end of the new hose and then tie the string throughthe
holes that you have put into the remaining V's on the end of the
hose.Then pull out the old hoses from the top. This will allow
you to pull thenew hose up from the bottom, through the original
holes. You will find thatthe holes are very snug and you will
want to push the hose from the bottom

while at the same time pulling from the top.

Heater Hose

Just replaced my hoses recently and it all went well and
straightforward.As others have said, cut the hoses, be prepared for the
coolant that willflow, keep and reuse the hangers. I was able to access
the hoses by goingin from the outside through the removable panel
behind the refrigerator.The hoses were down in there under a large
quantity of deteriorated foaminsulation.

The only problem I had was getting the new hoses through the holes
cut intothe floor just behind the door. Mine is a '77 and the hoses
enter the coachat that point. I understand that the earlier GMC's had
the hoses enter fromthe wheel well area. Anyway, some very helpful
GMC'er here suggested thatI cut the old hoses off under the rocker area
and drop a length of heavystring through the old hose and out the
bottom. Then cut V shaped notchesinto either side of the end of the new
hose and then tie the string through

the holes that you have put into the remaining V's on the end of
the hose.Then pull out the old hoses from the top. This will allow you
to pull thenew hose up from the bottom, through the original holes. You
will find thatthe holes are very snug and you will want to push the
hose from the bottom while at the same time pulling from the top.Bill
Brown - '77 Kingsley

Bill

I finished mine today, before I read your posting. Thanks
anyway.To add to your info, Mike Padula suggested that the hose should
bepushed up from the bottom, and yes, it was snug, but it went. Then
Iran the hose through the hanger to the left of the door. I drilled
outthe pop rivets holding the four hangers from the door to the
frontwheelwell. After placing the hangers back on the new hose, I
popriveted them back in place. They were too tight to snake the
hosesthrough. It turned out to be a lot easier than I had expected.
Ibought a box of 50' 5/8" hose and had several feet left over, but it
wasstill cheaper this way than buying by the foot, as I did with the
3/4"hose. The extra hose will go in the pod for emergencies.Wayne
Newland F9300 75 Palm Beach Columbia, Md

----- Original Message ----- From: "steve"
<mr34@pipeline.com>

GMC MOTORHOME COVER
Thanks again for the tip. ( J. HOXSEY)
the cover I ordered from Camping World is a
Tyvek/Polypropylene cover # 13231 20-24' long and it fits my
26' GMC
perfectly, except it is a bit wide, but that does not matter. Peter
Huber

Refrigerator replacements have cropped up the last few days on the
Net. Most people are talking about using absorption type
(propane-fired) refrigerators for replacements. This would be an
acceptable option if your coach already has outside vents cut into the
sidewall and roof for
this type of refrigerator.

However, for those that are still using the original compressor type
Norcold refrigerator, I would suggest you consider buying another
compressor type for replacement before you go chopping holes in your
beautiful
GMC.

Our 1974 GMC had already been converted to a Dometic propane
refrigerator before we bought it. That means we will have to replace it
with a compressor model before we get a paint job, so we can get rid of
that roof vent. The side vent will be converted to a door for an
outside storage compartment.

The newest compressor type refrigerators are much more efficient
than the
original Norcold, and they don't require vent holes to the outside --
the
small amount of heat from the condensor (1/7 of the heat output of an
absorption
type) can be safely dissipated inside the motorhome, as there are no
propane
fumes to get rid of. The absorption type also has to be within 2-3
degrees
of level to operate; the compressor type can operate up to 30 degrees
off
of level (presuming you would want to walk uphill to get to the other
side
of your coach) :>)

Compressor Type Refrigerators:
Our company builds large custom sleepers for trucks, and we have been
using the Norcold DE-461 for a long time. This model had some severe
problems a few years ago after they started using the new refrigerant
R-134a, but they got their problems resolved, and are performing very
well now. We have also used some Nova-Kool units, either at the
customer's request, or because one particular model fits under a
countertop. These use the Danfoss compressor, which is a bit more
efficient than the compressor used in the Norcold.

Last week at the Louisville Truck Show I saw a new refrigerator
which has
some advantages over the Norcold. The brand name is Tundra - they have
been
building small refrigerators for the marine market for some time, but
they
have just introduced a larger double-door model. This will fit in the
same
space as the Norcold, but it has 8 cubic feet of storage space, and the
Norcold
has 6.3 cubic feet. This also uses the Danfoss compressor. We will be
getting
one of these units for evaluation - I'll let you know how it compares.

For those that are interested, I have made a little chart of these
models, so you can see how they compare. If your email reader doesn't
use a monospaced font the columns won't line up - in this case, copy
the chart to your word processor and convert it to the Courier font.

A lot of the GMCs with
the GM
interior came out with an all electric refrigerator where the floor of
the
refrigerator compartment is several inches below the bottom of the vent
door
on the side of the coach. A lot of these coaches have been
converted to a combination electric/ propane gas refrigerators.
When a
refrigerator that operates on propane is installed in these
compartments,
there needs to be several holes cut in the bottom of the refrigerator
compartment, and through the wheel well,
to allow any propane leakage to vent out the bottom of the refrigerator
compartment. Propane gas is heavier than air and if there is any
leakage from the refrigerator it can collect in the bottom of
thecompartment and create a very serious fire hazard, if there are no
vents to allow venting out the bottom. Propane can leak from
loose fittings and/or from the
propane burner if there is a failure in the starting mechanism.

There should be several
2-inch diameter (or larger) holes cut in the bottom of the refrigerator
compartment and through the adjacent wheel well, with a metal pipe
connecting the holes in the refrigerator compartment floor to the holes
in the wheel well. These pipes should be sealed where they go
through the floor and through the wheel well so propane does not leak
into the living area. A screen should be placed over the opening
in the refrigerator floor to prevent any unwanted small critters from
getting into the coach. You can place a metal deflector over the
opening in the wheel well (leave room for venting) to keep water from
being thrown up into the refrigerator compartment. If the
refrigerator is located in areas other than over the wheel well,
similar vents need to be installed to allow propane to vent out the
bottom of the refrigerator
compartment. Other coaches (either
GM interiors and/or
others) that have been modified to add larger refrigerators may also
have the same safety issue if the floor of the refrigerator has been
lowered below the vent in the side of the coach without adding
additional vents in the compartment floor.

There is an additional
propane fire hazard on some of the 1973 GMCs (and maybe later models)
that came from the factory with a propane line running through the
right wheel well. The line is on the exterior side of the wheel
well just a few inches from the rear tires. If this configuration
had existed on our
76 Royale, our coach probably would have been burned to the ground a
few years ago when we had the steel belts brake on two different
4-year-old rear tires while traveling around 60 MPH. The broken
steel belts destroyed everything within the vicinity of the wheel well
and I'm sure would
have destroyed the propane line if it had been in the wheel well.
I showed the photos of my damaged wheel well to a friend with a 73 GMC,
and he would not drive his coach until he moved the propane line out of
the vicinity of the wheel well.

If you don't want to move your propane line, at least put an
automatic shutoff valve on your propane tank that will close when it
detects high propane flow.

Wet Foam
Fire
Extinguishers (5/5/7)

There is a guy Mac McCoy, affectionately called The Fire
Guy. If you have been to FMCA, GoodSam, and Escapees, rallies,
you might have seen his fire
prevention seminars. He is sponsored by RV Alliance and he
puts on
one heck of a show using wet foam fire extinguishers to put out a road
flare, which is almost impossible using other extinguishers. His
pitch is, that for us RV types, the wet foam works on all three classes
of fires, cleans up better, and comes in handy sizes. He recommends you
have 5 of the extinguishers.

I just returned from a 3 hour fire seminar by "Mac theFireGuy" This was a Escapees
rally in Stockton, CA. and I went for the day just to see Mac do his thing. He has
an excellent presentation and great demonstrations on real fires. Mac
sells Coldfoam products and has a new 1 liter one that I bought that is
rechargeable by owner. He is somewhat cheaper than other vendors
I have seen. I am going to ask Mr. K if he will start selling
Coldfoam Ext. here on the
left coast.http://www.macthefireguy.com/AboutMacMcCoy.htm

Here are some bits of what he said.The Kiddy foam ext. is gone
as Rick said. It was a good ext. but could not be user-refilled
and
was poorly marketed. Foam is still the ext. of choice in Europe. (Mac bought the last 1200 Kiddy he could find,
and they are all gone)

YOU HAVE 20 SECONDS TO ESCAPE A MH FIREfire doubles every 20
seconds
60 seconds fully engulfed MH.
travel with your propane tank full, it will vent before it will explode

CAUSES OF FIRES IN MH
Refer is the number 3 cause
of MH fires
70% of fires caused by 12 volt wiring
49% of fires are type A
45% of fires are type B
1% of fires are C - turn off the
power and these become A or B fires.

POWDER
very corrosive
very harmful for respiratory illnesses
causes more damage to MH than a small fire would cause
cannot be reused because the
powder clogs the valve.
They always leak down.

HALON
becomes toxic after hitting fire
not very effective in the
open
designed for enclosed electronic fires.

Mix in one gallon jug. Add water to make a gallon.
Add one cup per tank.
Paul Bartz

Propane Regulator Replacement
If you read the cinnabar article they recommend up grading to a dual
stage regulator. Mine seemed ok but as everything is on these
GMC, my single stage regulator was 20 years old so I replaced it.
.

--2 stage
regulator--$18.30gene

PROPANE GAUGE FOR COACHMAN AND
ROYALE
I called Coachman to try to get a new propane gauge to replace the
broken one in my 78 Royale monitoring panel (the panel was made
by Wemac Industries). Coachman told me to call Jenson
Wemac. I called and apparently he has sold his remaining stock to
JRV Products. JRV Products number is 714-259-9772;
their fax number is 714-259-9454.
The cost of the gauge was $15 plus $3 shipping. The gauge I
received was an exact replacement.
JR Wheeler 78 Royale NC

Remove the halogen lamp from the track mounting base and discard the
base and transformer. Drill two holes in the electrical cover
plate, one for the light bracket and one for the switch. Paint
the base plate to match your cabinetry. Mount the light base and
the switch on the plate. Drill overlapping holes in the underside
of your
cabinet so that the switch and the lamp wire will be recessed.
Connect
wires to existing OEM light. Enjoy your evenings under a good
light. I have two in the "living room" and one over each twin bed
for reading. Anybody who can't find the materials can drop me an e-mail
and I'll get
them for you. Gary

Water Saver

One of the nice features of the GMC Motorhome is that we have hot
water every time we stop because of the heat-exchanger from the
engine. Hot water in the bathroom that is. To get the hot
water to the kitchen sink we have to waste water until the hot water
reaches reaches the sink.

The Yandina web page describes a neat way to save water and not fill
your black tank.

Mount a valve (12 volt or manual) at the sink that connects to the
hot water pipe and run a small hose from the other side of the valve to
the fill pipe of the fresh water tank.

Now when you want hot water at the kitchen sink, open the new valve
until the hot water arrives, and the cold water goes back into the
fresh
water tank. You now have instant hot water with no water wasted.

Yandina describes timers, temperature controllers, etc , and
other various options if you want to get fancy. They also include part
numbers for the parts.

This is a great feature for those of us that mostly dry camp.
The feature even works when the water is heated using the shore
or generator power.

This is similar to the pump I use in my upstairs bathroom in the
house to always have hot water

Dashhugger --- (800)
336-1806 e McNeilly stevem@dashhugger.com
also http://www.dashhugger.com/
Corrected price $145 including shipping. Gary
I talked to Steve
at Dashhugger and he wasn't aware there was an early and a late stye
dash.

Dashtopper was and said
that 73-76 was early and 77-78 was later style.
Dash Hugger wants
$85 and Dash Topper wants $140.

De Davis of
Fullerton, CA has a source/supplier that makes a beautiful
fitting GMCMotorhome Dash Cover that sells for $96 including shipping.
The supplier has 3 different patterns which is required to fit
all configuration of GMC coaches. The coach year &
model (Palm Beach, Kingsley, Royale, etc) is required to ensure
the proper fit. The Dash Covers come in several different
colors to fit ones color desire.
De Davis can be contacted at
the following e-mail address: deAusUSA@hotmail.com
Phone number (714) 871-3618

Blender
Nutone Inc. is located in a section of Cincinnati called Madisonville,
at Madison and Red Bank Roads. Their telephone numbers are:
General 513-527-5100
Parts/Service 513-527-5426
Sales 513-527-5409
-------
Nutone stopped making these a year ago March. However,
parts can be obtained
from R&I Enterprise, Inc.,3650 Turtlecreek Road, Lebanon, Ohio
45036
800-525-7172 513-934-1940.
--------- rithesource@worldnet.att.net
Steven Hoffman
----------
Besides the blender, Nutone made a mixing bowl, knife sharpener, meat
grinder, sausage stuffer, coffee bean grinder, shredder and perhaps
other
attachments. My wife has one in her countertop in our
house. I just ordered
some replacement gears for a mixer head from this company and got them
in
three days.

Emery Stora
-----------------
<< hope this will not be as big a blow to you as
it was to me. I talked to Nutone today because I wanted to put in one
of thoes units that mount in the counter top that can be a blender or
hatever.
They stopped making them in March of 98. If I had only
ordered one when I got my GMC my house could have been even more
cluttered
with one of the things I wanted.
Does anybody know of anything that is like the Nutone unit?
>>
----------

I know this is old but if anyone wants, I will try to help. My
company is a wholesale distributor of Nutone Products (among other
lines). Regarding the Food Center... Nutone sold its Hamilton Beach
Division which produced the Food Center in limited quantities under a
contract which expired, and the two companies could not reach an
agreement on order size ( Nutone only wanted 10,000 made at a
time and the Hamilton Beach Group felt that that was too few to be
profitable) so the product was dropped from Nutone's offerings.

I checked my warehouse and we no longer have and "drive units" but
may have some accessories. If any one is really wanting anything, I can
check other distribution to see what is left available. See Ya on
theRoad,
----------------

WINDSHIELDS - WINSHIELD GLASS
Olsen's Auto Glass (800) 926-5736 Eugene, OR
Windshields -- new glass $395 per side installed.
It is a bit more expensive than that price that was posted some time
ago (now about $585 each side, no gasket) but there was no crating
charge and their work is warranted. I would highly recommend them to
anyone. (5/24/06) Jerry Lee

Lyn: There is also a source for the U.S. made Viracon
windshields up in
> Eugene Oregon @ They are $295 per side . It is Duncan
Systems limited.
> Their main office is in Elkhart, Indiana. They can be reached at !
(800)> 551-9149 . I too live in San Diego, so I just drove up
there last summer
> and bought two. Oregon has no sales tax and shipping is
expensive. About
> $125 per side with crating, so it justifies a trip up which is
1000 miles
> exactly from San Diego.

Some folks worry about breakage during installation because they do
not guarantee against breakage when you carry them in to an installer.
Was not a problem for me. I had them put in in El Cajon at Glass
America
at about $100 per side. Still way under prices Sirum or others charge.
In my opinion , you don't want to get the foreign made ones, they
actually need to be installed with a hammer because they are such a
lousy fit.
Phil

The sliding
window kithas everything you need to rebuild the sliding
windows on the drivers side and passenger side. It has replacement felt
for
top bottom and front. Even has a piece of fuzzy stuff for the
divider bar. Jim also
includes for free two new screws for the catches. It cost me $23
including
shipping. The nice thing is the felt is housed in a piece of rubber
instead of the old metal track. Should not rust the way the old stuff
did. There was enough felt rubber track that I replaced the
broken
piece of plastic fill strip on the inside of the window. Arch

Furnace Fuse Replacement
I finally got to the point that I had to check the fuse on the
furnace. I slid a piece of 1/2 inch rubber hose 8 inches long
over the fuse holder cap. That worked like an extension on the fuse
cap. I was able to easily remove and replace the fuse. I
left
the hose on the cap as the cabinet door closed OK with it
installed.
Next time I will not have to look for a piece of hose.Russ

Paul, your statement of 50 degrees (output temperature) would be
correct - for the dash air conditioner. This type of air conditioner
has a variable refrigerant metering device (expansion valve) which will
attempt to maintain the outlet air temperature at 50 degrees or so.
However, for 120 volt AC units, a fixed metering device is used
(capillary tubes) with a constant RPM compressor, and different air
temperatures will be
found.

Dick, you are absolutely correct "temperature at the discharge is
relevant to the intake temperature."

The only correct method to check the cooling output of our 120 VAC
roof-mount units is to compare the temperature of the air coming out
with the temperature of the air inside the coach, going into the return
air grill. This
is the temperature differential (TD). (Tech types sometimes call this
the "evaporator Delta-T") The air temperature outside the coach has
very little direct effect on the unit's cooling output.

The TD you can expect will typically be about 20 degrees; if the
inlet air is 90 degrees, the outlet temp will be about 70 degrees. Does
this mean that we can only expect to cool the coach to 80 degrees if
the outside temperature is 100? Nope, not so - because the roof-mount
air conditioner is in "recirculate
mode" all the time - it never draws outside air into the vehicle. The
cooled discharge air will be circulated around the coach, picking up
heat and moisture, and then drawn back into the AC and cooled even
further. The inside air temperature will thus continue to get lower,
but with each degree of temperature drop inside, the heat gain through
the walls
and windows from the outside will increase. Eventually, the amount of
heat
coming into the coach will be equal to the amount of heat being removed
by the air conditioner, and no further temperature drop will occur. In
a poorly insulated coach, that was
painted black, and had the grandkids running in and out all the time,
it would be possible to have properly working air conditioners, but
only reduce the inside temperature 5 degrees.

As is obvious, the cooling performance of the air conditioner is
only a
part of the answer of how cool you can get the inside of the coach.
Don't forget to look at the other end of the cooling problem, too -
keeping the heat out in the first place. Add insulation, tint the
windows, paint your GMC all white (ugh!), add insulation, keep the
windows closed and the shades drawn, add insulation, grab that campsite
in the shade and park East-West, not North-South, and of course, add
more insulation.

Now, Doyle, you can see why there is no easy answer to your
question. You
stated "I have two AC units that seem to blow very cold". I have
checked out
many air conditioners, and I still do not trust my hands to really tell
me
if it is working properly. I would suggest you use thermometers
to
check the TD
on both of your ACs to make sure they are working as they should. If
they are, then you need to work on the other items to keep more of the
heat from coming inside (or get bigger air conditioners?)

More on TD (temperature differential) - high humidity will decrease
the TD, perhaps to 17 degrees difference, and in low humidity
conditions the TD will increase, sometimes to 24-26 degrees. More air
flow (high
blower speed) will decrease the TD, yet will increase the cooling
capacity.
Low air flow (low
blower speed, dirty filter, dirty coil, etc) will increase the TD, but
cooling output will be less.

I know, I know - some of you are thinking "we just asked this guy
for the
time - and he tells us how to build a 17 jewel watch!" Sorry to be so
long
winded - just couldn't help it. Goes back to my service seminar days, I
guess.

It was 5 below that night in northern a New Mexico State park. Two
GMCs were parked next to each other. The wife and I got up at
about 7am I still had warm water to shave. I turned the furnace back on
as my wife had turned it off about midnight said she didn't want hear
it run. After breakfast I called
on the CB to ask our friends next door if they ready to roll."No way"
there water tank and pump and all the lines were frozen and said they
were too. They said there furnace never shut off all night. Why
the difference? Just a lot of little things I will try to tell you
about
them, most take time but not much money. I must point out GM is
not unlike most all motorhome builders that believe motorhomers would
not want to use their motorhome in the winter and that's the way they
built them. So lets start from the front
and work back. That cold draft that comes up your pant leg. I tried to
block all the little holes and cracks that let the cold air in but
never could find them all. So I built a shroud between the grill and
the radiator to make sure all the air that goes thru the grill also
goes thru the radiator core this not only completely stoped all the
draft but help cool the engine and transmission in the summer. If you
wish to
do this just take a sheet of cardboard and duck-tape a make a three
piece
pattern [top and two sides] I would not cover the bottom. Take your
pattern
to your local furnace co. or tin shop and have them form your shroud
out
of paintable galvanized tin. Next the roof, the way I did it I took
down
the ceiling panels removed the sparse factory foam and cut and fitted
sheets
of 1/2" celotex it comes with 2 layers of aluminum on each side between
the roof struts. Then I added full sheets of the same under the struts.
this gave me 1 full inch of celotex and 8 layers of aluminum. I then
covered
the ceiling panels with white vinyl.
Anyplace I could not fit in celotex , like the fiber end caps and over
the bath room I used Fiberglass bats. In our unit we have one sky light
in the bath plus two fan-tastic fans ceiling fans, I made snap on
covers of celotex and glue-on vinyl to match. To insulate the walls I
used celotex everywhere I could and added fiberglass bats I also lined
the area on both side top and bottom of the refrigerator and the
outside wall behind with two layers of celotex.I used fiberglass
insulation behind the panels next to the drivers
and passengers seat. Most of the wall panels were then covered with
carpet. I also used fiberglass insulation under the dash and in
the walk in door. The door window and the large rear window I double
pained with Plexiglas [note you lose the emergency exit] I'm sure to
hear
from someone on this. One of
the best things I did to stop the cold draft flowing down over the beds
was to build a tray to hold the bottom of the drapes. It consists of a
flange of 1" bolted to the wall a 90 degree out 11/4" out and then up
2" up.all made of galvanize metal. After this I glued on a 1/8x21/2"
oak trim, now you can disconnect the bottom of the drapes and they will
open and close without hanging
up. As you know GM
placed the water tank on the aluminum floor where it most likely can
freeze it can be left there but you should at least place 2" of
Styrofoam under it also between the tank the out side wall do not block
it away from the heat. Same goes for the water pump. However on
my Motorhome I moved the water tank to under the dinett seat.and the
water pump to under the refrigerator I also moved the water pipes that
were above in the ceiling to just above the floor. most of the water
pipes
are now inside the furnace heat ducks. I have always had a
recirculating toilet so I don't have any water in the outside tank to
freeze.
under the kitchen sink I installed a 30 gal. grey water tank also with
2" styrofoam to take from
both sinks. now comes the good part HOT WATER HEAT I installed a
Y in each of the hot water hoses off the engine that goes back to
the hot water tank under the sink in the bath room with a gate valve
shut off.I then ran copper pipe and circled the walls with a system of
fintube exchangers just like a
home. I also installed exchangers under the water and grey water tanks
. by the time you stop at night you have a 40 to 60 gal.hot water
bottle.that's about it guys except to tell you when we used to go snow
sking we could sleep in our motorhome at 20 below and the furnace would
not run half the time. I
park inside when not on the road but if pluged in a very small electric
heater or a couple of light bulbs would prevent freezing. I
have never drained the water except to put in fresh. Sorry to be
so long winded but I didn't know what part to leave out. thanks.Jim
Anstett

---------------------- FIBERGLASS REPAIR
I see you have not as yet had a deluge of answers so I will attept to
give you a brief untechnical overview. When you decide exactly what you
are going to do then please advise and I'll happily be more specific...
also I may be able to supply some pics... Also I am sure there will as
always be many bits of input and probably argument. So at risk of
getting pelted here goes...

> However. Twenty-five-year-old fiberglass is not the most
attractive surface
> going. Even the bathrooms that weren't originally some dastardly
shade of
> mustard (I saw a few -- sorry, Manny, it's just not my favorite
color) have
> yellowed to that shade over time. And the years can show up as
surface
> scratches and dullness, too.

Sara you are right here as some people do very little to maintain
the
fibreglas either inside or out. Somewhat similar to some boat
owners.
>
> I know fiberglass is very resilient and versatile stuff. But I'd
like to
> understand more about what can be done, and how it gets
done. Rumor has it
> that it can be re-surfaced to restore the original gloss; is this
done by
> coating, or just buffing? Can it also be re-colored?

You can probably restore the gloss, yes. If it is totally scratched
very
deeply then it may not be restorable without resurfacing. More on that
later. Here's some general rules that have worked for me over ..
well,
too many years of working with the stuff. Firstly please be aware that
the surface you are looking at is NOT fibreglas .. it is a polyester
based gelcoat which only covers and protects the actual fibreglas..
looks nice too.
A little trick that usually gives a good indication of whether you can
bring it 'back to life' or not is to lick your finger and rub
vigorously
a small area (pick a bad spot) and the colour depth you get when the
surface is wet is pretty much what you will have after restoration. If
the colour is still intact (ie not completely oxidized) then
you can
polish the hell out of it and get it back to a decent colour
depth and
gloss.

If the surface is in good nick then clean (soap and water) and
polish
with Gel Gloss (available from most bathroom sales places) or use a
good
quality fibreglas polish available from most marine stores. This method
will probably do most all the bathroom units inside our motorhomes as
they are not exposed to direct sunlight. Another good one is
Meguires
H.D. Colour Restorer No.44 which also protects from scratching.

If the surface is not so hot (ie slightly oxidized) but still not
heavily scored then you can use a good professional cut polish like
Meguires No.1 followed by No.3 and finally a glazing wax and
gloss
enhancer like Meguires No.45. If No.1 is not available try the next
best
thing from a marine store Mequires Super Duty Fiberglass Cleaner No.49.
Be aware that both of these products are made for machine application
and should be used with care as it is extremely easy to cut polish
right
throught the gel coat. Then you have a problem you don't really
want.

Recolouring can be done with proper surface preparation and a new
colour
gelcoat spray application followed by a lot of polishing and
buffing.
However I would not recommend this proceedure for an amateur. Even most
pros would not recommend it in any but the most extremely oxidized
situations or if the customer insists on another colour. Lots of work
and often is tricky not to buff away the new coat. Not normally a
realistic option. I have done several boats this way and will tell you
it's easier to prep and paint with a good quality two part paint like
Imron, BASF or several others.

>Re-shaped?
Fibreglas cannot be reshaped other than the amount of existing flex in
flat areas... ie it is not like some plastics that you can heat and
reshape very easily. Be careful... over flexing is an extremely easy
way
to crack the Gelcoat. Not a good idea to try to bend shaped fibreglas !

> Patched (invisibly)?
Yes and in good hands invisibly. Mind that even a lot of so called
fibreglas experts can't usually do a perfectly invisible repair.. this
requires a very good eye and understanding of the colour spectrum, also
the newer materials are often not exactly quite the same as the older..
but a good guy can often do it with 98% accuracy . Another problem that
often shows up later particularly on weather/sun exposed surfaces
is
that the new repair will show later as it oxidizes at a different rate
than the older surrounding gelcoat. If you are speaking only
of minor,
not all the way through the gelcoat, scratches then it usually best to
polish them out rather than apply new material. Holes do of course
require fibreglas repair as well as recoating of gelcoat. Deep cracks
cannot be polished out but can often be made less noticable.

>Do the walls take screws well, or does everything hung on them
> have to be glued?
Screws are best placed in areas that have strong backing ie. a
piece of
wood glassed behind the laminateor where the FRP makes full contact
with
a frame member or other surface. There are ways to hang things on
unsupported FRP (fibreglas) but care must be taken not to overload the
laminate and fracture it. The lamination in our units is quite thin as
are more of these type installations as they are designed only to
support their own weight and not all of last weeks washing or a grab
bar. In many cases if you must put something up gluing with a two part
epoxy works well. Note that whenever you must put a screw throught the
FRP be sure to predrill the hole.

Any other hints and tricks, cool features and add-ons to
> consider, and mistakes not to make as part of a bathroom remodel?

Most cool feature for a bathroom I have seen lately is the wall
mounted
or semi recessed watertight toilet roll container/dispenser... ;)
>
> OK, these are some really naive questions -- but I've never had to
work
> with this stuff. And perhaps the collective wisdom on GMC bathroom
> restoration might be a useful addition to one of the permanent
collections
> of information on somebody's website. ALL these bathrooms are
going to need
> rehabbing eventually.... Sara